Hear Me Howl
by Point Given
Summary: Jaime Lannister has returned to Kings Landing, crippled but alive. But in the span of a day, all he has ever known will change. A Storm of Swords AU
1. Loss and Gain

**First ASOIAF fanfiction, but it's a long time coming. I'm a huge fan of the books and movies, and I certainly hope to be writing more fanfics in the future.**

**Just a note. This is an AU, and I'm switching around the timeline a small bit. In A Storm of Swords, Jaime returns to Kings Landing soon after Joffrey's Wedding, but I'm having him return to the capital much earlier, soon after the Lannisters discover the Tyrell plot to marry Sansa to Willas Tyrell. Jaime still only has one hand, though.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones.**

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"Ser Jaime Lannister."

King Joffrey's voice cut through the throne room like a blade. _Clearly he's feeling his oats as king._ Jaime turned and bowed before the Iron Throne.

"Yes Your Grace?"

"You may remove your helm."

Jaime he clumsily swept the white helm from his head. It was an odd request. Kingsguards were not meant to be seen as individuals.

"We are gladdened at your return, Ser Uncle," said Joffrey. "And we will make sure that Vargo Hoat and the Starks pay for the wrongs they have done to you."

"I am happy to hear that," Jaime replied. _Why was this worth a summons?_

"But I fear that the wrongs they have done you have been too great, Lord Commander."

Jaime stood stiffly, ignoring the phantom pain in his lost sword hand. This couldn't be anything good. The condescending tone in his son's voice made certain of that.

"After all," the King continued, "A Kingsguard with one arm is hardly fit to defend a King."

_And there it is._

"That's not true," Jaime retorted sharply. The entire court's eyes were drawn to his haggard face as he spoke. "There have been instances of past Kingsguards serving the throne even in injury and worse."

"Perhaps in peace, Ser Jaime," said his bastard son. "But this is war, and that was your sword hand. I have need of warriors now, not cripples."

Jaime flushed red as he glared at the man standing next to the throne. His lord father, Tywin Lannister. His father's cool green eyes stared back into his; the golden flecks held a hint of warning.

"But you have served the realm well, _Uncle,_" said King Joffrey, emphasizing the last word. "The Hand has spoken to the High Septon to release you from your vows. I give you leave to resume your former duties as Heir to Casterly Rock."

"Your Grace-"

"That is all. Go in peace, Ser Uncle."

_I spit on your pity_, Barristan the Bold had once said to Joffrey I. _But Barristan had two arms, and it was not his own family passing judgment on him._

"Thank you, your Grace," Jaime replied as he let his sword clatter to the ground. He walked stiffly out of the throne room, ignoring the following eyes and the jabbing pain in his lost hand.

* * *

"Well, we have something in common, dear brother," said Tyrion Lannister.

"We're both slaves to Father's whims?" Jaime asked as he drained his chalice of wine.

"I wouldn't have put it like that, but yes," replied his brother. "And we've both lost something thanks to him. Your position in the Guard, my handship... my succession to Casterly Rock... For a man who's so concerned with our family's status and legacy, he certainly likes to deprive his sons of them."

"And body parts as well," said Jaime. "He hired Vargo Hoat and his Bloody Mummers, and now you tell me that Mandon Moore cut your nose off."

"I doubt that father ordered your fellow Guard to do that. Our sweet sister on the other hand..."

"Cersei?" Jaime was appalled. "You can't be serious. She may dislike you, yes, but resorting to kinslaying?" His sweet sister was many things, but spilling family blood seemed beyond her

Tyrion sighed. " I had been undermining her the entire time I served as Hand. She threatened vengeance on me for marrying Myrcella off to the Martells, and she thought that I deliberately meant to get Joffrey killed when Stannis attacked. The only other person it could be is Joffrey."

"Or Littlefinger," Jaime pointed out. "Or Varys."

"Littlefinger was with Father and the Tyrells," said Tyrion. "And Varys...well...Varys was a great help to me during my short reign."

"I wouldn't trust Littlefinger an inch," said Jaime. "He may have given him orders to carry out before he left for Bitterbridge. And isn't House Moore near the Fingers?"

Tyrion pursed his lips. "True... Curious and curiouser..."

A sharp rap on Jaime's door caught their attention. They both immediately recognized its style

"Enter," Jaime called as he rose from his chair. The door swung open to reveal Tywin Lannister.

"What are you doing here?" Tywin asked his youngest son.

"Enjoying some brotherly bonding time," Tyrion quipped as he heaved his short frame off the table upon which he sat. "And bemoaning my loss."

"I never would have given you Casterly Rock," his father said sternly. "Of that, you can be quite assured."

"I was actually speaking of my nose," Tyrion replied. "But yes, I do regret that too. Now I can just whittle my days in King's Landing...doing nothing...

"Not nothing," Tywin said, his green eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh are you putting me in charge of the drains and cisterns again? I did a good job of them back at the Rock."

"Don't think the thought hasn't crossed my mind," the Hand retorted. "No. You will be replacing Baelish as Master of Coin."

Tyrion's smile was full of bitterness. "Am I supposed to invent gold out of thin air like Littlefinger did? The smallfolk say that dwarfs have a touch of magic, but I confess that alchemy is beyond me."

Tywin was not amused. "You come from the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms. The Tyrells are the second. I'm certain you can figure out something."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. Good day father...brother..."

Tywin closed the door behind his youngest son as he waddled out of the Lord Commander's chambers. He stalked over to the table and moved Jaime's chalice out of the way

"You're turning into Tyrion," he said flatly. "I never thought you would drown your sorrows in your cups."

"I think I deserve to," Jaime retorted. He waggled his stump for good measure. "I've lost everything who I was, thanks to mine own family."

"None of us cut off your hand," his father replied. "And King Joffrey has returned you to your rightful place at Casterly Rock."

"It is not what I wanted," Jaime replied. "Why not ask me first?"

"Because you would have refused. Because you're so concerned with the sheep's opinions of your honor that you would rather toil away as a bodyguard instead of doing your born duty."

Jaime opened his mouth in reply, but his father cut across it.

"You had best pack your things for the new Lord Commander," he said. "You will leave for Casterly Rock in four days' time to serve as castellan while I do my duties here."

"The new Lord Commander?" Jaime said mockingly. "Who did you choose, Balon Swann? He's the only halfway decent Kingsguard left in the city, and he's hardly fit to lead."

"If you hadn't thrown a tantrum at the court, you would have heard the rest of your nephew's speech," Tywin replied. "Loras Tyrell will be the new Lord Commander, in honor of his actions at the Blackwater."

Jaime scoffed. "A green boy of seventeen? A boy who was fucking Renly Baratheon just a month ago?"

"Would you rather Balon Swann be Lord Commander?" Tywin asked. Jaime glowered at his father.

"What other gifts have you given to the Tyrells?" He asked.

"Mace Tyrell will be Master of Laws, and Paxter Redwyne the Master of Ships."

"Oh? Are we going to give Uncle Kevan nothing then? I was under the impression that being a Lannister meant something to you."

"Hold your tongue!" Tywin snapped. "My brother and Garlan Tyrell will lead armies to take Storms End and Dragonstone. You on the other hand, will take the fight to Robb Stark. I trust losing your hand has not made you incapable of commanding a battle?"

Jaime paled. "I promised Lady Catelyn that I would not take up arms against House Tully or House Stark. That was part of the terms of my release."

"Worried about honor again?" Tywin said maliciously. "As I said before, your honor is nothing, so quit trying to get it back, and start acting like a true leader. Even the bloody Tullys have "Family" before "Honor" in their words!"

Jaime lowered his eyes. His cauterized limb was beginning to pain again. To his relief, his father began to walk toward the closed door

"One last thing," Tywin said, as he quickly turned around. "We will need to discuss your marriage."

_There's only one woman I wish to marry_ Jaime thought, but he wasn't foolish enough to say so.

"Oh? You're not planning to marry me to Lysa Tully again I hope?"

"A woman with multiple miscarriages and a sickly son? Hardly. No, you must marry someone young, and someone of a Great House."

"So Arianne Martell then?" asked Jaime.

"Don't be a fool," his father snapped. "As if Doran Martell would marry his heir to House Lannister? We were lucky enough that he married his youngest child to Myrcella. He won't have anything to do with us, other than that, least of all have a Lannister half-blood ruling Sunspear. No. You will be marrying Sansa Stark."

Jaime's jaw dropped open in horror. If his father had never been done to jape, he would've sworn this was one.

"Are you mad, father? You're marrying me off to our hostage? The Young Wolf's sister?"

"Yes," Tywin replied. "Before his departure for the Vale, Baelish informed me that the Tyrells planned to marry Willas to her. She is heir to her brother, if he should fall in battle. In one stroke, the North could be ours."

"As if the North would support our claim." Jaime had to laugh, a sound he knew his father despised. "I promised Lady Catelyn that I would return her daughters to her. Don't give me that line about honor again, Father, this is serious."

"You would have had to have broken your promise anyway," said Tywin. "Arya Stark escaped our men before Ned Stark's execution. She's been missing for months."

_Best of luck to her, _Jaime thought. Hopefully she was already on her way to Riverrun...but then again with The Mountain's men sacking the Riverlands, she was most likely already dead.

"Sansa Stark will be safe with you in Casterly Rock," said Tywin. "Safer than she's been here, at any rate.

_What did that mean?_

"But why not Asha Greyjoy? She's heir to her father, now that Theon Greyjoy has fallen at Winterfell."

"Theon Greyjoy is captured, according to Varys," said the Hand. "Asha Greyjoy is thousands of leagues away with her own fleet and her own army. And from what I've heard, she's more like to shove a knife in your belly the first time you fell asleep. No. You will marry Sansa Stark, and you shall do so, before your departure. I've ordered the servants to produce a fine Lannister cloak for you for the wedding"

Tywin swept his gaze around the room one last time before closing the door. When the door closed, he threw the chalice onto the floor, where it shattered satisfyingly.

Gods. He _hated_ his father.

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**Hope you enjoyed. Please read and review!**


	2. The Wedding

**I'm glad at the great response I got for the first chapter. A reviewer pointed out that Jaime never saw Barristan's sacking as he was already besieging Riverrun, so I edited the first chapter to rectify that error.**

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The ceremony passed as in a dream.

Jaime did all that was required of him. There were prayers, vows and singing, all the pomp and circumstance that he had witnessed hundreds of times and hated hundreds of times. The seven vows were made, the seven blessings invoked, and the seven promises exchanged. He knew the appropriate words and said them when necessary, but he was nothing more than an automaton in the great charade.

The Tyrells were there; something which surprised the former Lord Commander. He would have thought they would make excuses to leave, now that their plot for the North had fallen to pieces. But appearances were appearances, after all, and they still had the most important marriage in the kingdom. His grim-looking uncle Kevan and son Lancel stood near Tywin. Not for the first time, Jaime wondered why Lancel couldn't have married Sansa instead. They were closer of an age and the possible result of House Lannister controlling the North would have remained the same.

_But it wouldn't have meant the same sort of revenge for my father, _Jaime thought. Robb Stark's rebellion was personal, and Lord Tywin's revenge would be as such. Jaime felt like singing "The Rains of Castamere."

His father stood as stiff as the Titan of Braavos. No emotion showed in his cold green eyes, a marked contrast to the Queen Regent on his other side.

Cersei's green eyes were torrents of flame, enhanced by the smoke of the tall candles burning near Jaime's line of vision. If looks could kill, Sansa Stark would be long dead. The Kingslayer remembered his pain and anger during Cersei's and Robert's wedding. Now he could appreciate that she would finally know his pain.

_If only we had been born Targaryens..._

In no time at all they had reached the changing of the cloaks. To the Stark girl's obvious consternation, Joffrey would be standing in place of the father of the bride. Lord Tywin had told him before the ceremony that as King, Joffrey was the "father of the realm"

_Seems to me that I have that right more than him_, Jaime thought wryly. But the look of fear in Sansa's eyes did not go unnoticed by him.

Jaime's eyes followed his son's as he unfastened Sansa's cloak, noting the squeeze that Joffrey gave her breast and the smug grin on his face when he ripped the maiden cloak from her

His part went less well. The dark crimson Lannister cloak was a thing of beauty; embroidered with gold satin and shining rubies, but it was rather heavy and unwieldy to operate with one hand. But, after a few fumbling moments, he was able to drape the coat around her.

Her pale face reminded him of her mother's, though in a much more pleasant setting. The last time he had seen Catelyn Stark, she was demanding vows and oaths from him at the point of a sword. But the anxiety and uncertainty in her bright blue eyes were like her younger brother's, in the instant before he pushed him out of the tower window.

"With this kiss I pledge my love," she said hesitantly. "And take you for my lord and husband."

"With this kiss I pledge my love," he answered. "And take you for my lady wife."

They leaned in and kissed, Jaime pretending all the while that the girl had blonde hair and fiery green eyes.

* * *

His wedding was not as large as others Jaime had attended, but it had been a hastily arranged one, and considering the circumstances, it might have been a lot worse. The food was delicious, the minstrels talented, and the dancing was fine. Jaime had danced two turns with his stiff-backed wife. Sansa was no Cersei when it came to dancing. But then again, she had little reason to be happy. Though his sister had shown even less pleasure, she was able to move with passion even in the most staid of dances. Jaime had felt the shocked eyes of the lords and ladies, the displeasure of his father and uncle and the amusement of his brother.

_Let them whisper_, he thought. He may not see his sister for a long time after this evening, and he was determined to make the most of it.

"You will need to leave at mid-day tomorrow," said his father after they had retired to their seats for the final servings of the feast. On Jaime's other side sat Sansa, looking miserable, especially given her proximity to Joffrey, who sat on the dais above her with his newly betrothed, Margarey Tyrell. Jaime paid his new wife no mind.

"How many soldiers am I bringing with me?" Jaime asked.

"Half our army," Lord Tywin replied. "And a quarter of the Tyrells. I had argued with Lord Mace that he needed half of his, but he was adamant that he needed a large force to take Storms End."

"I thought Uncle Kevan was going to take the fortress."

"Originally yes," Tywin answered. "But it appears that our new in-law still has a grudge over the Rebellion. He spent close to year there, and all he got for his trouble was Ned Stark's army relieving the siege. But there is no point in arguing over such a small thing. With Paxter Redwyne's ships, Kevan can easily take Dragonstone. Storms End will be a tougher nut to crack."

"And what of King's Landing?"

"The Crownlanders and the Gold Cloaks will take care of that. If you stop Robb Stark, we won't have to worry about the capital at all. Our late cousin Stafford's remaining forces retreated to the Rock. With those additional forces, you will have enough to break the Young Wolf, if he doesn't break himself first."

"That sounds ominous," said Jaime.

"Your release gave Rickard Karstark no end of grief. He murdered poor Willem and Tion in cold blood to avenge those two sons of his you killed."

Jaime grimaced. "I am sorry to hear it. How are Kevan and Genna?"

"I've sent a raven to Genna and Emmon. Kevan is taking it difficultly, as you can imagine."

"I'd noticed," Jaime replied, recalling the grim look on his uncle's face. I'll be sure to kill Karstark himself this time."

"The Young Wolf saw to that already," Tywin answered. "Varys reports that he personally beheaded the bastard for going against his orders. A matter of honor, apparently. The Karstark forces have left him and are marching back North. His army is already weakened."

Jaime had to smile. "As honorable and stupid like his father." _And I'll make sure he dies like Ned Stark as well_

"The question remains as to whom you will take with you back west.," Tywin asked.

"Addam Marbrand for certain." Jaime answered. "Any fool can lead the City Watch, but Marbrand is a very accomplished scout and outrider. I'll have need of him against the Starks."

"Granted," said Tywin. "His talents would be wasted here at Kings Landing."

Jaime took a deep breath. His next request would be more difficult. "I would also like to take Ser Ilyn Payne."

His father gave him a calculating look. "Why?"

He held up the stump of his right hand. "I need a sparring partner who won't talk if I should prove to be less...able with my left hand."

"He is the King's Justice. We'll have need of him in the capital. Haven't you known Addam Marbrand since you were a boy? Why can't he be your partner?"

"Addam is a loyal and true friend. But he likes to drink."

"I see." Tywin stared at Jaime's wine cup as a serving boy refilled it. In a deft movement he snatched it away from his eldest son.

"It is my wedding feast, father," Jaime protested. "And I have never been a particularly heavy drinker."

"Since you've returned you've given your brother a run for his gold," his father replied evenly. "I cannot control what you do at Casterly Rock, but you are not about to turn into another Robert Baratheon in my presence. You imply that Marbrand's tongue is loose when he is in his cups. Do not be the same, or you will put yourself in grave danger."

"Your concern touches me," Jaime said drily. "Though, the fact that I don't have my sword-hand may make it obvious to everyone that I am not the fighter I once was."

"People see what they want to see," Tywin replied. "Stick a hand on that stump and the lords and soldiers will remember who you once were."

"But I won't."

"Then convince yourself that you are," said Lord Tywin. "I have written to the smith at Casterly Rock. He is working on a new hand to replace your lost one. A _golden _hand. When others see that on your arm, they'll remember the might of House Lannister."

"Thank you for making that decision for me," Jaime said sarcastically. His eyes went to the clean cut that marked what Zollo had done to him. _A golden hand? That would be rather heavy. _And what good was a hand that could not open nor close? _Should be good for smacking around someone. Maybe I can even smash Vargo Hoat's face in._

A torrent of noise broke out in the hall. All around, men and women were rising out of their seats and cheering. A group of women approached the Kingslayer. On his other side, a host of men was doing the same for Sansa.

"It is time for the bedding!" King Joffrey I announced. "And I will do the first honors for my new aunt," he whispered softly.

With his dagger, he slashed through the laces of her dress. Mace Tyrell, Paxter Redwyne and others tore off the dress and bore her away. As Jaime rose into the air, supported by the many arms of the ladies of the court, he could see Joffrey squeeze her breast. He had no time to protest, his own clothes were being stripped.

"To the bedchamber!" they all cried as they walked out of the hall and up the stairs of the Keep. Jaime twisted his head around, but he could not see any sign of his sister. He could not blame her. He clearly recalled her bedding; watching all those grasping lords stripping her of her clothes and carrying her to be fucked by a drunken lout.

They were both dumped on the Lord Commander's bed. Loras had been kind enough to let Jaime keep the quarters until their departure the next day. It wasn't as if it would get much exercise from here on out, now that Renly was dead.

Jaime looked the young girl over. Her breasts, although budding, were nothing compared to his sister's. She was too young; she was just a maiden._ We have something in common then, wolf girl. Besides my sister, I'm practically one myself. _He supposed she would grow to become pretty, especially if her mother was any indication, but all he could see was that she was not Cersei.

"Well," Jaime began, ignoring the ribald suggestions being shouted through the door, "let's get this over with."

Sansa nodded, her lip quivering. She blinked back tears as he tossed her onto the bed, fumbling with his crippled arm as he got into position to mount her. He ignored the lurid suggestions from the lords and ladies outside the door, he ignored the sudden gasp and moan from his newlywed wife. All he focused on was the image of Cersei as he took Sansa.

* * *

**I would have written the sex scene more indepth, but since Sansa is underage, I didn't feel comfortable doing so. **

**Anyway next chapter will see some tense conversations between Jaime and Cersei and Jaime and Brienne. Also they'll finally get the heck out of King's Landing! We haven't seen much of Sansa yet since Jaime barely notices her, but that will change, don't worry.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Please read and review.**


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